Chapter 89

#89 <Misunderstanding Leads to Understanding (4)>

***

As soon as Son Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young returned from their trip, they made the rounds in the neighborhood.

When they first heard that Jin Hyuk was attending school with Yoo Jin, they were surprised, but they thought their son would handle it well. So, they could comfortably visit their neighbors to deliver gifts.

“Did everything go smoothly?”

“Hahaha! Thanks to you, sir.”

Son Kwang-yeon, who visited Cheon Gil-ryong first, let out a hearty laugh.

They gifted Cheon Gil-ryong chocolates, a Hawaiian flower necklace called a lei, and a Hawaiian shirt. The shirt had a white base with light green and orange flower designs, chosen by Han Yu-young herself.

“Ohoho-, this seems a bit too big······.”

Cheon Gil-ryong, holding his pipe, spun around like a model and laughed heartily.

The flashy shirt surprisingly matched well with his pants, and Son Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young were very pleased.

“They say it’s meant to be worn loosely. Wear it when you go out for a stroll.”

“Ohoho-, this is something. Thank you for thinking of an old man like me.”

“Please visit us often, sir.”

“Thank you. I was planning to do just that. Wife, let me have a word with you.”

At Cheon Gil-ryong’s suggestion, Son Kwang-yeon subtly looked around and moved towards the bamboo forest. The view from the high ground, though not as grand as Hawaii, was quite splendid.

“A mother with a strong heart should trust her child first, not listen to rumors.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Han Yu-young, bewildered, politely replied.

Cheon Gil-ryong waved his pipe, seeing off Son Kwang-yeon and Han Yu-young until their car was out of sight.

The couple also delivered leis, chocolates, and coffee to other neighbors. They even gave souvenirs to neighbors they didn’t interact with much, reflecting Han Yu-young’s thoughtfulness of sharing their Hawaiian experience. Even those who secretly envied Son Kwang-yeon’s success couldn’t help but bow their heads at the couple’s generosity.

They gave alcohol, wine, and cosmetics to Choi Mi-kyung’s house as a thank-you.

Kim Soon-bok, holding a pile of gifts, made a fuss.

“My, my, Jin Hyuk’s family has become even more beautiful after tasting American water.”

Indeed, while all the neighborhood housewives had permed hair, Han Yu-young, who kept her straight hair, still looked like a young lady. Her black, straight hair matched well with her dress, making her stand out from the typical rural housewives.

“Jin Hyuk’s family, come here for a moment.”

Kim Soon-bok pulled Han Yu-young aside.

The quick-witted Son Kwang-yeon approached the yellow Jindo dog, clicking his tongue and pretending to know it. He felt a slight sense of exclusion as everyone seemed to pull Han Yu-young aside.

Bam-!

“Eek-!”

He almost got bitten by the dog and fell on his butt, forgetting that no one but Jang Gun-i could disrespect the yellow dog.

Kim Soon-bok glanced at the distant Son Kwang-yeon, looked around, and cautiously spoke.

“Well······, I don’t know if I should say this.”

“What can’t you say between us?”

When Han Yu-young smiled warmly, Kim Soon-bok seemed to make up her mind and got to the point.

“Well, about our Jin Hyuk. Is he okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, it’s hard to say, but-. I heard something-. Don’t misunderstand, okay? I just heard it. Just heard-.”

Kim Soon-bok poured out the story she heard during Chuseok. It was detailed as if she had experienced it herself, and her tongue wagged like a fish in water, finally finding someone to talk to.

Han Yu-young felt the blood drain from her head as she listened.

She had been happy and not tired even after a ten-hour flight, but how could this happen?

‘Our son······.’

She didn’t know where things went wrong, but strange rumors about Jin Hyuk had finally reached her ears.

The shock of an unexpected topic hitting her skull made Han Yu-young completely forget Cheon Gil-ryong’s advice.

***

Jin Hyuk was very happy that his parents were back.

It wasn’t that taking care of his sister was hard. Just having the whole family together made him happy.

“Mom! Mom! Mom!”

“Oh my, our princess has grown so much!”

Jin Hyuk felt that children indeed need their parents as he saw Yoo Jin acting clingy in their mom’s arms after a week. He realized there were limits to the love an older brother could give.

And he made a resolution.

‘I have to do something for Yoo Jin.’

From now on, he couldn’t live with anxiety or take risks.

Because the weak always bear the brunt of harm.

That aside.

Sitting down for dinner with his dad after a long time brought back memories, making his heart swell.

“Honey, dear. Did we run out of fernbrake and bean sprouts?”

Dad wasn’t one to complain about side dishes, but this was serious. The vegetables mom used to serve every meal, which dad and son loved, were gone. Jin Hyuk wanted to join the protest too. He also missed the vegetables, so he was grateful when dad asked.

Han Yu-young, dressing Yoo Jin in the Hawaiian clothes they bought, said without looking back.

“They say it’s not good for men.”

He wanted to ask who said that but decided to hold back. Her voice had an edge to it. Asking more might lead to other side dishes disappearing. The two men didn’t ask further and reached for the spicy pork made with wild boar leg. Luckily, with mom back, the table was abundant, so they weren’t too dissatisfied. Even the egg fried with a drop of sesame oil stimulated their appetite.

Enjoying the home-cooked meal after a long time, Son Kwang-yeon wondered.

‘I was fine though······.’

Perplexed by mom’s coldness, Jin Hyuk looked at his dad.

To bring up something important for the family.

“Dad, you’re rich, right?”

“Dad isn’t rich. Our family is rich.”

Son Kwang-yeon smiled at his son.

His son had grown so much, already taller than him. He felt no anxiety leaving the house for long periods, and he took great care of his sister. He was a dependable son in many ways.

“How about hiring a security guard for the house? Build a lodge or something.”

“Security? There’s nothing to steal.”

Son Kwang-yeon shrugged nonchalantly.

The only valuable things in the house were the jewels he gifted his wife Han Yu-young whenever he made money. He bought her jewels and pearls in Hawaii, but how much could they be worth? No one knew he had converted his money into land to prevent theft.

And he heard from Hong Ki-jun that special forces disguised as land surveyors were watching over them. He didn’t understand why, but since it wasn’t his money, he let it be. It didn’t invade their privacy.

‘Jin Hyuk probably doesn’t know about the disguised guards Ki-jun assigned.’

Son Kwang-yeon hesitated to tell what he heard from Hong Ki-jun.

He thought it better not to mention their existence to avoid worrying the family, and he still felt that way. The saying “ignorance is bliss” exists for times like this.

“Mom and Yoo Jin are here.”

Jin Hyuk was anxious about something happening to his family when he wasn’t home. Dad was busy with workers during the day, so only mom and Yoo Jin were at home. Even with locks, a determined person could break in.

There was no guarantee of safety until the unknown land surveyors arrived.

‘My wife and daughter.’

Feeling as if hit on the back of the head with a hammer, Son Kwang-yeon’s chopsticks paused mid-air.

That’s right. Nothing is more important than family. He had only thought about theft targeting their wealth, but it wasn’t that simple. Hearing his son’s words made him realize he hadn’t thought deeply, distracted by the honeymoon.

‘The security team is on standby at a distance.’

Having experienced the ugly side of human greed, Son Kwang-yeon knew better. In a world where wrong information and small misunderstandings could harm people, someone with a long-held grudge wouldn’t leave his family alone.

‘Son Kwang-yeon, you fool!’

Son Kwang-yeon’s head and chest turned cold. Acting like a carefree man had made him truly careless. He had been too optimistic, blinded by happiness.

“There’s no asset more important than mom and my sister in our house······.”

Jin Hyuk emphasized once more.

Some might think it was a careless remark from a naive son, but to a father, it felt like a heavy stone on his chest.

Like Jin Hyuk, family meant everything to Son Kwang-yeon.

So, he felt sorry for his children.

Moreover, Jin Hyuk wasn’t the type to bring up something without reason. Son Kwang-yeon sensed something had happened during Chuseok.

“Let’s think about it.”

Son Kwang-yeon subtly checked his wife’s reaction and signaled his son. They needed to talk separately.

If the house was lost, they could rebuild it. Wealth could be regained.

But family was different.

He had already heard about Hong Ki-jun’s plan. Something about moving from the shadows to the light. Now it wasn’t just a personal issue but a family one. It was fortunate that his son brought it up at the right time.

‘It’s about time to talk.’

The question was when and how to bring it up.

It wasn’t about worrying about his wife, who had a strong personality despite her appearance, or his son, who was unusually serious for his age.

‘I know nothing.’

Son Kwang-yeon didn’t know who or why someone would threaten him.

Even Hong Ki-jun didn’t know who was behind it. He had tried various means but couldn’t find out.

– “There are plenty of scoundrels in this country who would do such dirty deeds. The only connection you have is with Daejeong.”

Daejeong? Why Daejeong? During college, he had a brief relationship with an older woman who called herself a princess, but they shared no blood, and he did nothing to earn her resentment.

‘I’m going crazy. I don’t even know who’s causing this trouble, so I can’t confront them.’

Even if I found out who it was, I couldn’t face someone who wants to kill me. I moved to the countryside to avoid them.

During school, I noticed someone following me and reported it, but the police were no help. They just scolded me, a healthy man, for not being able to protect myself.

The only one who helped Son Kwang-yeon was Yoo Se-ra’s father. Son Kwang-yeon was utterly alone. That’s why his current family was so precious.

Seeing his dad’s serious expression, Jin Hyuk continued eating to give him time to think. He missed the fernbrake and bean sprouts, but mom’s cooking was still the best.

Already on his fourth bowl, Han Yu-young looked at her son with a pleased expression.

But there was a hint of pity in her eyes.

Unlike the Son family, she had other worries.

Was it because she served too many vegetable side dishes when he was young? Or because they relied on cheap ingredients like pollack stew, codfish stew, and mackerel head soup? She should have made more meat dishes, even if it was a stretch.

‘Seong-chan got scolded for secretly watching red videos.’

Jin Hyuk didn’t even touch the VCR in the room.

Is that why he’s so calm despite being a teenager?

I can’t strip my grown son to check.

Sigh-.

‘I’m sorry, mom.’

Seeing her husband rush to her every night as if it were the last day of the world, it didn’t seem like infidelity. Thinking of her father, who only got Han Yu-young in his later years, there was no reason to suspect anything but external threats.

***

Jin Hyuk brought up what happened during Chuseok.

Son Kwang-yeon listened with a serious expression, neither getting angry nor interrupting Jin Hyuk.

“It’s just the two of us now, so tell me.”

“Jin Hyuk, dad······.”